This invention relates to vehicle window assemblies and, more particularly, to an improved hinged window assembly wherein the hinges are bonded directly to the surfaces of the window pane without the necessity of drilling or causing any hinged securing structure to extend through the window pane.
In recent years, it has been common to provide pivotally hinged windows in passenger automobiles, trucks or vans to facilitate ventilation. Such windows are pivoted either on a vertical or horizontal axis so that they may be opened from between a few inches to several feet. A common technique in manufacturing such windows is to drill one or more holes through the window glass near the peripheral edge of the glass and bolt a hinge plate to the glass which can then be fastened in some manner to a support on the body of the vehicle. Such holes must be drilled before the glass is tempered and substantial material loss often results because of the breakage or chipping which occurs during such drilling. In addition, such hinged structures are relatively heavy and provide a substantial structure which must be covered or trimmed over to maintain the asthetic qualities in and around the window.
More recently, window assemblies have been used including a window pane bonded to a molding strip of polyvinyl chloride and secured in a larger assembly or frame such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,234, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, wherein the molding strip provides a "living hinge." With the recent emphasis on vehicle weight reduction for energy conservation purposes, it was desired to provide an alternative to such hinged window assemblies which were lighter, provided equal or greater reliability to environmental and weather conditions and also could provide anti-theft and anti-vandalism security for the hinged windows. Such features were desired in an assembly in which the bulk of the hinge was kept to a minimum and the attachment of the assembly to the vehicle could be made substantially entirely from the exterior of the vehicle while keeping any fasteners concealed from the vehicle exterior after installation of the assembly.
The present invention was conceived as a solution to the above problems and as an alternative to the previously used hinged vehicle window assemblies.